Executive Search for challenger brands.

Ignite Search is Team Ignite’s specialist executive search business, focused on connecting ambitious challenger FMCG brands with exceptional leadership talent.

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Board to Director

Level of appointment

Challenger FMCG

Sector focus

Partner-led

Every single search

General Management✦Commercial & Sales✦Marketing, Brand & D2C✦Supply Chain & Operations✦Finance✦Permanent✦Interim✦Contract✦Fractional

What it is

A dedicated search business, built inside a challenger brand specialist.

Team Ignite connects challenger brands with ambitious people. Ignite Search is the part of the group that does it at leadership level — board, C-suite and director appointments for the FMCG brands rewriting the rules.

Senior hiring in a fast-growing brand is a different job. Smaller pools, more at stake, and a shortlist that has to fit the culture as well as the spec. Ignite Search runs a structured, personally-led process built for exactly that: an actively managed talent network, real market mapping, and a partner in every conversation.

Learn more about executive search for challenger FMCG brands through Ignite Search.

Specialisms

Where Ignite Search hires

Executive Search for Permanent, Contract, Interim and Fractional leadership positions.

General Management

Chief Executive Officer
Managing Director
Non Executive Director
Board Advisor
General Manager
Country Manager
Chief of Staff
People Director

Commercial & Sales

Chief Commercial Officer
Commercial Director
Sales Director
Head of Sales

Marketing, Brand & D2C

Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Digital Officer
Chief Growth Officer
Marketing Director
Brand Director
Growth Director
Creative Director

Supply Chain & Operations

Chief Operating Officer
Supply Chain Director
Operations Director
Head of Supply Chain
Head of Operations
Head of Procurement

Finance

Chief Financial Officer
Finance Director
Head of Finance
Finance Controller

Every one of these is run by a partner, end to end. See the full Ignite Search service.

How it works

Four defining steps

Define & Align

We agree the brief, the criteria and what success looks like before a single name is approached — so the search starts from a shared picture of the hire.

Approach & Engage

We combine our actively managed talent network with market mapping, direct outreach and referrals through our customer, adviser and investor contacts, personally engaging with every candidate.

Assess & Shortlist

We assess against agreed criteria, while considering cultural fit, future potential and the capabilities required to support brand growth. We also look beyond the obvious, introducing talent that may bring a different perspective and unlock significant value.

Appoint & Support

We stay close through offer, notice period and onboarding, so the hire lands as well as it looked on paper.

This is the short version. Read the full process behind how Ignite Search runs an executive search, from briefing through to onboarding.

The team

FMCG experts. Personally with you, on every search.

Paul Jones, Billy Maddock and Suzanne Farrin lead every assignment themselves — no handing the brief down once it’s won. Between them they have spent their careers inside the FMCG and challenger brand world, on both sides of the hiring table.

Meet the Ignite Search team →